Milk and Cookies
by EverlastingDarkness
Summary: HIATUS[CloudxDemyx] Sometimes, all you want is to cry, with a glass of milk and some cookies to soothe your soul. Without a heart, that's pretty tough.
1. Struggling

Authoress' Notes: **_IMPORTANT_**: Many things have changed and you need to re-read the first three chapters. I changed a huge thing in the third, and there are smaller things in the first. PLEASE read the entire thing before going on.

Warnings: Contains YAOI. SLASH. SHONEN AI. Don't like it, don't read it. We clear? Good.

Disclaimer: If I owned KH, I wouldn't be writing this, now, would I?

_**Milk and Cookies**_

**Chapter One: Struggling**

"_Are you still avoiding Sephiroth? You know you have to face him sometime."_

"If only it were that easy, Tifa…" Cloud sighed, pushing off the wall he had just been leaning against as he was remembering his earlier conversation with Tifa. He had basically ignored the woman, pushing past her to leave his house, which he had been trying to do when she showed up on his doorstep. She always did that. And Cloud always ignored her. Heck, she wanted him to just spill out all of his emotions like some prissy little girl while she tried, and failed, to comfort him.

Like he was really going to do that.

He trudged down the cobblestone streets of Radiant Garden in search of the local bakery. Some chocolate chip cookies would soothe his nerves. Those gooey chocolate chip cookies at the bakery were to _die_ for, literally. Cloud was almost drooling about them.

"Welcome to the finest bakery in all of-- Oh. It's you." The man behind the counter sneered, wiping his hands on the pink apron that hung delicately from his neck as he stepped around the corner of the countertop. "What do you want?"

"Cookies, Demyx. Just cookies." Cloud replied with the same sneer, taking a seat at a small table made for two. "Chocolate chip."

"I'm not your slave. Don't order me around." Demyx went back behind the counter, slipping on some plastic gloves. He slid a rather large chocolate chip cooking into a bag, setting it in front of Cloud. "There is such a thing as asking nicely. You should try it sometime."

"Hey, I got you this job. I don't have to be nice."

Demyx frowned. They were always like this to each other. Always fighting, never getting along. "You didn't have to get me this job."

"And you didn't have to show up at my house half-dead, thanks to the Keyblade Master."

"Well, you didn't have to take me in."

"You don't have to be a bastard."

"Ooh, tou_ché_."

Cloud took a bite of his cookie. "Milk." He ordered with his mouth full.

Demyx heaved a sigh, retreating to the back of the bakery. He returned with a glass full of milk and handed it to Cloud, waiting for a 'thank you' that never came. Cloud simply pressed the rim of the glass to his lips and took a small sip, continuing to slowly eat the rest of his cookie. Demyx huffed, throwing his hands in the air before returning back behind the counter. He shouldn't expect anything less from Cloud. He knew he wasn't the type to show any sort of gratitude.

Cloud finished the rest of his cookie and downed the glass of milk, leaving the trash for Demyx to clean up as he stood, about to leave. He stopped suddenly, hearing Demyx speak.

"What's on your mind?" The Nobody asked, leaning over the counter on his elbows. "Any time you come in here, there's always something wrong. You buy something sweet, thinking it'll make that something wrong go away, and then leave. But whatever's wrong never leaves your mind. You continue to think about it, _dread_ it. It never leaves that pretty blonde head of yours." He threw Cloud's trash away and put the glass on top of the countertop, taking a seat at the same table. "Sit." He ordered. "We'll talk."

Cloud didn't move. He stood in the doorway, the door to the bakery standing wide open, held back by his hand. He asked himself, why should he spill his heart out to some one who didn't even have one? "Not inter--"

"It's an _order_. Now, sit."

Considering he didn't really have a choice in the matter now, Cloud took his seat once more. Perhaps he could get out of talking to this Nobody if he didn't say anything. You can't carry on a conversation if only one person was doing the talking, right?

"So, what's got your panties in a twist?"

Cloud chose to ignore the question, folding his arms and casting a sideways glance out the window.

"Ooh, the silent treatment." Demyx said, furrowing his brows. He relaxed back in his chair, folding his arms as well. "We're not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on."

"Nothing."

"Liar."

Cloud glared at him through his blonde bangs. "It's Sephiroth."

"That crazy, silver haired psychopath?" He tilted his head back and laughed. "You're scared of him, aren't you?"

"No."

"Liar!" He shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Cloud. "Liar, liar, liar!" He sang. "How do I know? It's written all over your face!"

"I'm not scared."

"Ah! Avoidance!"

"Demyx…"

"Hit the crisis right on the nose, didn't I?" Demyx smirked, bobbing his eyebrows. "So, you're avoiding him. Let's go from there."

"Just let me go home…"

"Why are you avoiding him?"

Cloud bit his bottom lip. "I'd rather not say."

Demyx's features softened a bit and he reached up to rub his cheek nervously. He wanted Cloud to open up to him, he really did. He wanted the older of the two to be able to speak his feelings, to him. Demyx wanted that more than anything in the worlds now. To be on terms where they knew everything about each other, knew what the other was feeling at any given time, to be able to _communicate_. And they wouldn't be able to do that unless Cloud opened up.

Cloud had… changed Demyx in ways none though possible. He used to be a wimp, used to be picked on by all the other Nobodies because he was so weak. Cloud made him strong. Now it was his turn to help him out.

_I'm worried about you… Cloud…_

_Let me understand you._

_I… I can help. I'm **willing** to help._

_Give me this chance. _

_Take my hand. Trust me. _

He was shaken from his thoughts as a soft 'thud' rang through his ears, and when he looked up, Cloud was no longer in front of him. He glanced around and saw his body on the floor. "Cloud!" Demyx shouted, falling to the ground near Cloud's limp body. He shook the blonde, trying to wake him up. "Cloud! _Cloud_!"

- - - - - - -

"_God dammit! Tifa, leave me alone! I'm tired of you telling me to go fight Sephiroth, to destroy him, to face the darkness inside of me, whatever. I'll do it when I'm good and ready!"_

"_But, Cloud…"_

"_Don't 'but Cloud' me. Just leave me the hell alone!"_

"_I just want to help…"_

"_Well, you're doing a bad job of it!" _

_Cloud slammed the phone down back on its receiver, standing up. He sheathed his sword, the new and improved Buster Sword, throwing the front door of his house open. Just as he was about to leave, a portal in front of him opened and a man fell out of it, spreading out on the ground in front of him. The man, Cloud now clarified, was bleeding in several different places like he had been stabbed, dirty blonde hair in a mess atop the man's head. _

"_The hell?" Cloud questioned._

_He knelt down, checking the man's pulse. He was still alive, barely breathing. Cloud wondered who would do this sort of thing, and then he noticed the familiarity of the man's cloak and scoffed. _

"_I bet it was Sora."_

_Shrugging all things off to the side, metaphorically speaking, Cloud hooked one arm under the man's neck and another under the bend in the man's knees. He stood, lifting him into his arms. He was heavy, and Cloud stumbled a bit, struggling to get inside his house. However, he managed, lightly placing the man on the couch. _

_Cloud poked at him. "Wake up." He muttered. _

"_Five more minutes…" The man mumbled, slapping Cloud's hand away. _

"_Great. He's delusional." _

_The man snapped up suddenly. He winced, collapsing back down from his upright position. "Where am I?" _

"_My house."_

_He turned to look at Cloud, raising an inquiring eyebrow. "Wait a sec… you're one of those people that help the Keyblade Master!" The man struggled to get up and call his weapon, falling on top of Cloud as his knees gave out. Cloud yelped in surprise and fell with him._

"_Get off." However, the man was unconscious yet again. Cloud sighed. "It's going to be a long evening…"_

- - - - - - -

"_I thank you for taking care of me the past few weeks." Demyx said as he was gathering his things. "But, I really must be--"_

"_You're not going anywhere." Cloud interrupted. "I don't trust you."_

"_What, so I'm just going to stay here? In this tiny shack you call a house!"_

"_You can sleep in the spare cot, over there." _

_The cot, which Cloud had pointed to, looked rather rickety and old, and Demyx had decided it probably wouldn't hold his weight. "I am **not** sleeping on **that** old thing! I'll fall right through it. Why can't I have your bed?"_

"_Because… It's mine."_

"_Your point?"_

_Cloud scoffed. "You want a **real** bed, then you'll have to pay for it."_

"_I don't have any money **to **pay for it."_

"_I'll get you a job."_

"_You just have answers for everything, don't you?"_

"_Pretty much."_

_Demyx dumped his bags on the old cot, which, as he expected, wouldn't hold even his bags as the mattress sunk in, the metal bars underneath it breaking off. "Ok. What'll be my job? Since you're making me stay here and all. House cleaning? Teaching? Drug dealing?"_

_Cloud sent Demyx a hard glare for the last suggestion. "You can… work at the bakery."_

"_Bakery? Are you kidding? I can't cook to save my life!"_

"_You'll learn."_

_Demyx thought about it for a moment. "Fine. If it gets me a bed…"_

_- - - - - - -_

"_Hey, Cloud?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Have you ever been… trapped in darkness? Feeling as if there was no escape? No one to save you?"_

"…_Plenty of times…"_

"_Did you ever… lose your heart?"_

"…_No."_

"_I never really thought about it before… but I feel so empty inside. I know something's missing. I want to fill it. I want to--"_

"_--be able to feel? To know love, hate, anguish? To be **whole**?"_

"_How'd you know?"_

"_Lucky guess."_

"_And I suppose you're **always** lucky?"_

"_Yeah… I suppose so."_

_- - - - - - -_

"_Cloud?"_

"_Hey, Cloud! Come look at this!"_

"_Cloud, that's lame!"_

"_Cloud!"_

"_Isn't this great, Cloud?"_

"_Hello, Cloud?"_

"_You never tell me what's going on in that head of yours, Cloud…"_

"_Cloud…"_

"_Tell me what's wrong."_

"_And I suppose you're **always** lucky?"_

"Cloud!"

Cloud's blue eyes fluttered open. He grimaced at the blinding light surrounding him, burning his pupils. It had been dark for so long…

"Thank God. You're awake." Demyx sighed, a hand over his racing heart.

"What… what happened?" Cloud asked groggily. He tried to sit up until a hand was placed on his chest and pushed him back down.

"You need your rest. You fainted." Demyx explained. "I had the doc come look at ya. He said you'll be back to normal within an hour. He just left."

"I… I see." His vision blurred in an out, almost as if he was going blind. He felt nauseous, sick, tired. He wanted to sleep, but couldn't. Those dreams he had were almost as if he was reliving the past. Why were they so focused on Demyx? Was the Nobody _that _important to him?

Cloud tried sitting up again, only to have firm hands pressed against his shoulders. He looked up at Demyx and cocked his head to the side. Demyx, he was…

He looked like he was about to cry.

But he couldn't. He was a Nobody after all. He had no heart.

"Demyx?"

"Why… why didn't you tell me? About… about your sickness!" Demyx faced twisted into sudden rage that shocked Cloud.

"So… you know, then."

Demyx release him. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. What upsets me most…" Demyx paused. "…is that I didn't hear it from you."

Before Cloud could respond, Demyx was already out the door, running towards the northern end of town where the bakery stood.

All Cloud could say after that was, "I'm… sorry."

_I guess I'm not as lucky as we thought._

**end chapter one**


	2. To Embrace the Fact

Authoress's Note: Shorter chapter, but you have to re-read it anyway. If you're reading this for the first time, have fun!

**Chapter Two: To Embrace the Fact**

"_You know what's funny?"_

"_What? Your face?"_

"_Cloud. Seriously."_

"_Ok, what's funny?"_

"_The fact that I never imagined being friends with some one like you."_

"…"

"_Cloud?"_

"_I'd hardly call us friends."_

"_I'm serious, Cloud!"_

"_I know…"_

"_This kind of lifestyle is much better than life in the Organization. Even for a heartless Nobody like me…"_

"…_You're such a sap."_

"_Oh, shut up!" _

Demyx whipped at the batter, mixing the ingredients to a thin, sauce-like liquid. He poured a bag of large chocolate chips in, finishing off the batter with a few quick spins of the spoon before pulling out the baking pan. He poured the batter on to the pan in large clumps scattered across it. With a smile of success, he threw the pan in to the oven to bake. He brushed off his hands and threw off his apron. With only thirty minutes or so to wait, he settled down in to one of the barstool chairs, spinning around, a frown adorning his features.

He hadn't meant to find out about Cloud's 'sickness'. The doctor just so happened to mention it while Demyx was in the room. It was quite obvious to Demyx that Cloud hadn't wanted him to know about it. And now that he knew, he couldn't get his blonde roommate out of his mind. He was worried to death, afraid that when he went home, Cloud would already be dead.

Making cookies cleared his mind, at least in the time span it took to make the batter. But… once it was in the oven, his thoughts were back on Cloud. He hoped he'd be ok. He hoped there was a_ cure_. The doctor hadn't mentioned any type of medicine, hadn't subscribed anything.

What if there wasn't a cure?

He shook his head, ridding the thought that crossed his mind.

Demyx thought back to earlier that day when him and Cloud argued. In reality, him and Cloud didn't used to fight at all. In fact, when Demyx first met Cloud and was staying at his house, the two got along great. Maybe it's when Cloud grew sick they stopped getting along so well.

When was that? Demyx figured it was probably about two months before. When they had their first fight.

It was over the stupidest thing. Demyx hadn't done his part of the chores at the house, and Cloud flipped his lid, stalking out of the house with a slam of the front door.

In the six months they have lived together, Demyx had grown quite attached to Cloud. He feared ever living without the swordsman. It was a strange feeling, though he didn't feel anything. He remembers, faintly, what it was like to know that some one dear had a sickness, with possibly no cure. He remembers the sadness one has for this kind of knowledge. But that was all.

He wanted to cry for Cloud.

Yet, he couldn't. And he probably never will.

Ever…

"Cloud…" Demyx murmured, the name slipping past his lips smoothly, flawlessly, rolling off his tongue. He'd grown rather used to calling the blonde's name.

"What?"

With a shocked expression grazing his features, Demyx turned to the door. "Cloud! You, you shouldn't be out of bed! The doctor said--"

"I'm fine." Cloud stated simply. He tried to move forward, stumbled, and fell. In almost what seemed like a split second Demyx had jumped up, ran over to Cloud and caught him. They fell to the ground, Demyx grunting under the added weight on his upper torso. And for an unknown reason, Demyx's arms tightened around Cloud as they lay there, oblivious to the beeping of the oven in the background signaling the cookies were done. For the longest time they stayed in that position, so it seemed to them, though in reality, it may have only been a minute or two.

Demyx was slowly brought back to said reality and coughed, helping the other blonde up. "Ahem…"

"You going to get that?"

"Huh?" Demyx scratched the back of his neck, confused. "OH!" He shouted suddenly. He ran off to the back, some muffled shouts erupting. Cloud heard the oven close, followed by Demyx shouting 'ow' as he probably burnt his hand, before stumbling out of the kitchen and grabbing an oven mitt. He ran back in while slipping on the glove, coming back with the tray in hand.

"They're burnt." Cloud stated, his eyebrows raised.

"Only slightly." Demyx retorted. "Now, why aren't you still in bed?"

Cloud didn't reply. He walked forward and reached out, taking a cookie from the tray and taking a bite.

"Cloud?"

"Felt like eating a cookie."

"You just had one this morning! And you're sick, you need your rest!"

Cloud sat down with a sigh. "Whatever."

It was Demyx's turn to sigh and he retreated to the counter. "Don't blame me if you faint again."

"It's not your fault in the first place."

His eyebrows furrowed. "I'll kill him." And with that last statement, Demyx left the bakery.

Cloud closed his eyes, slowly chewing another bite of his cookie. He knew who Demyx was talking about. He feared, however, that the Nobody would do something both of them would regret.

_Sephiroth…_

_Wait, he did **not** just leave his bakery… he needs to be working! Gah!_

- - - - - - - -

"_Ooh, who's that?"_

"_Hmm? Oh, that's Squall. He prefers to be called--"_

"_Hey, Squall!"_

"_--Leon."_

_Squall approached, his stormy gray eyes fixed on Demyx. A harsh frown formed on the thin line of his lips, his eyes flickering to Cloud. His brows narrowed. "What're you doing here? I had the impression that Sora finished you off."_

_Taken aback by the formality, Demyx was at a loss for words. "I, um… uh… escaped before he could?" More like a question than an answer, but he got it out none-the-less. _

_Squall coughed. "Right. Cloud?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_He's staying with you, I presume?"_

"_Only so I can keep an eye on him."_

_Squall fell silent. He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and his thumb, removing them and casting a glance off to the side. "Whatever."_

"_I see where he gets it from." Demyx laughed. _

"_What?" _

"_Well, erm, **Squall**, Cloud says 'whatever' a lot. I now know that he gets it from you!"_

_All Cloud did was sigh with a shake of his head as Squall shrugged. _

"_So, friends?" Demyx asked, extending his hand._

_Squall glanced at it skeptically. And he shook. "Sure."_

- - - - - - -

Squall sat there, in his comfy little chair, elbows resting on the desk, chin resting on his clasped hands. His eyes were closed; he was weary from lack of sleep. His work in Ansem's study was steadily eating away at him. Dark circles had formed under placid eye lids, his skin paler than ever. His voice was gruff when he spoke, as he didn't talk much down in the study. Not like he talked much in the first place. Yuffie had bounded into the room upon few occasions, telling him he needed to take care of himself, get some sleep. He never left, and sometimes was caught sleeping by Aeris when she brought him some tea.

"You mean… you knew about his sickness!" Demyx stuttered, his eyes widened in shock that he was the only one who didn't know.

"Yes." Squall replied. "He didn't tell you?"

"No, of course not."

"I'm sure there's a reason. Perhaps he didn't want to worry you."

Demyx scoffed, crossing one leg over the other and folding his arms. "Sure."

Squall studied the man for a moment, then leaned forward a bit. "Listen, there's nothing you can do. There's no known cure that we know of, so the most Cloud can do is just deal with it for the meantime. And the most _we_ can do is to be there for him."

"But… that's just not enough!"

"Well, it's going to have to be enough. Embrace the fact and _deal_ with it. He's going to die and there's nothing you can do about it!" Squall's clenched fist slammed against the wooden desk, rattling the pictures hanging on the wall with the force. Demyx didn't look up, his gaze cast towards the ground.

In the softest voice he could muster up, he whispered, "But… I want to do something about it. He…" And even softer, "… can't die."

Squall leaned back, shocked. A man with no heart was capable of showing such emotions without even really knowing it. He had to jot that down in his notes. A pencil in his hand, he began furiously writing. "Amazing." He breathed.

"What's amazing?"

"You love him."

_Love. I can't remember what it really feels like. _

_Is it… how I really am? Do I really hold such emotion towards Cloud? _

_I thought Nobodies were incapable of such feelings. We were hollow shells with nothing inside but the idea of hatred towards those who were whole._

_So… why is it this way? Why does this hollow one feel so…_

…_whole?_

"Demyx?"

Shaken from his thoughts, Demyx looked up, locking eyes with Squall. They stayed like for a while, seeming to converse through their eyes.

He spoke. "I don't know such a thing as love, Squall. I'm hollow."

"You know the feeling--"

"Not really." Demyx stood. "I can't remember what it feels like to love. Who knows, my past self was probably never in love, you know? I just…"

"Care for him?"

"…yeah."

Squall seemed satisfied, giving a half smile with a small nod. "Just don't do anything rash."

"Rash?"

With a chuckle, Squall explained. "Don't go off and try to defeat _Him_, Sephiroth. He's too strong for even Cloud to handle, so don't go off thinkin' you're gonna avenge him, you got it?"

A smile stretching across his lips, Demyx replied as he turned, "Got it."

**end chapter two**


	3. Leaving

**Chapter Three: To Start a Journey **

He strummed against the strings of his sitar, not following any pattern of notes. Different chords sung out, blending into a melody, harmonizing in ways Demyx never dreamed they would. He would frequently sit like this, him and his sitar, whenever he was depressed. However, he hadn't done it since he arrived at Radiant Garden. Today was his first time in the six months he'd been living there to actually drag it out and play it. When living with the Organization, it had been different.

Demyx was always looked down upon. No one saw him as a strong opponent and he was disliked for it. He tried to play along, pretending he wasn't strong. It was difficult, and at the end of the day he would sit down and play a song. He lost himself in the music. It was calming.

He hadn't summoned his sitar in six months; he was a little rusty. He played, none-the-less, not really caring. His music was the pathway to his nonexistent heart.

"Beautiful…"

At the voice, Demyx ceased playing, turning his head. "Oh, Aerith!" He sat his sitar down and stood, bowing slightly.

"I love your music, Demyx. It's very pleasing to the ear." She gave a half smile, her green eyes sparkling in the setting sun.

"Oh, that was nothing." He chuckled nervously.

"Tea?" She inquired.

Demyx nodded and they both took a seat on the steps where he had earlier been playing.

"By the way, Cloud locked up the shop for you. He said you ran out?" Aerith mentioned.

"Oh." Demyx acknowledged.

They sat silently for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company and drinking the tea Aerith had brought. There were many times when they sat, just like this, on the stairs. Demyx came to the stairs quite often…

"_Aren't you… Demyx?"_

_He looked up at Aerith upon hearing her gentle voice. "Yeah…" He sighed._

"_Cloud has told me a lot about you." She took a seat next to him. "I'm Aerith."_

_Demyx just shrugged, muttering a 'pleased to meet you'. _

"_Tea?"_

_He shook his head. "No, thanks."_

"_Cloud mentioned that you haven't been yourself lately. What's going on?"_

"_I dunno."_

"_Demyx…" She turned to face him. "I understand it must be hard. Coming here, **living **here. When all you've known in your existence is anger. **Hatred**. It's a big change, isn't it?"_

"…_yeah."_

"_Cloud, he's really come to like you. You seem to be good friends, right?"_

"If we're such good friends, why couldn't he tell me he was sick?" Demyx asked, not even knowing he said it out loud. He blushed slightly, bringing his hand to his face as if to not let Aerith see it.

To Aerith, it didn't matter. She saw his sadness, wrapping her arms around him and bringing him into a tight hug. "So, you found out, then."

"I… I didn't mean to. The doctor, he just…"

"Do you know what it is?"

Demyx moved back, pausing a moment, then spoke, "Geostigma."

Aeris nodded. She smoothed out her pink dress, placing her hands on her knees. "It's a terrible sickness." She said so soft Demyx almost didn't hear it. "With no known cure, as I'm sure you know, he's soon to die. And I'm also sure you know that it was Sephiroth's doing."

Demyx nodded. He didn't look at her, just gazed at the steps, fiddling with his jeans Cloud had let him borrow that morning. Ok, so Demyx kinda took them without asking, but Cloud hadn't seemed to mind when he saw him at the bakery earlier, right?

Aeris continued. "When infected, it spreads throughout the body, making you feel weaker and weaker with each coming day. It takes at least a year for a person to die from it, for it to spread through the body. In the state Cloud is in now," She paused and swallowed, trying her hardest not to show her tears, "he could die at any moment."

It was so shocking that Demyx fell unconscious.

- - - - - - -

"It's getting worse, you know."

Cloud coughed, leaning over to pick up some old clothes scattered on the floor. He struggled standing back up, but managed, tossing them in the hamper. Turning away from Squall, he answered, "I know."

"Then do something about it."

"There's nothing I can--"

"I don't mean the Geostigma." Squall said, cutting Cloud off. He walked towards the blonde, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. Cloud's head lowered. "I mean, do something about Demyx. He can't stay here much longer. He's getting too attached to you." He removed his hand and stepped back. "Send him away."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Cloud snapped. Almost immediately he felt a searing pain in his right arm and clutched it, trying to stop the pain. His eyes dilated, his face lost color. He fell to his knees, hunching over, grunting from the pain. It was taking over his whole body as images flashed through his head, of Demyx. Of Sephiroth.

Squall's eyes widened and he leaned down to help his friend. "Cloud? Cloud! What's going--" He paused as he removed Cloud's hand grasping his arm and ripped the blue cloth down. There was a mark, like there had always been, but it had grown darker, wider. What look like black blood trickled down the blonde's arm. Squall wrenched back, the black substance dripping off his leather gloves.

This had never happened before. Squall had no idea what to do.

Subconsciously he grabbed the phone, dialing the number for the local doctor. "Hello? My friend, he-- Cloud!"

Cloud had reached up, despite the pain, and pulled the plug out of the jack in the phone. He tried to stand, and eventually succeeded. "This… is my problem." Cloud bit out. He stumbled forward, limp in his left leg. "No doctor. No Demyx. I have to take care of this my self."

Squall realized what he was saying and grabbed Cloud's right arm, the one with the mark of Geostigma. "You're in no condition to fight him, you know that! You'll get yourself killed! Do you really want that!"

Cloud didn't respond.

"Well?"

"I have to fight him. I have to try. If I don't, my life would mean nothing. And I'd only be proving Demyx right."

"Right about what?"

"That I'm scared of him." Cloud admitted. "Tell Demyx that…" He sniffed, his eyelids slowly closing. "…it was nice, having him as a friend."

That's when Squall knew he couldn't stop him. So, he released Cloud's arm, glancing off to the side. "Yeah. I'll do that."

"Thanks."

The soft smile that was adorning Cloud's features, would be the last smile Squall would ever see from him. "No problem. Anything…" He bit back tears. "…for a good friend."

"See you in the afterlife." Cloud waved, stumbling out the front door, leaving Squall to only stand there, a tear slipping past gray-blue eyes as he watched his friend, one he had known for several years of his life, struggle down the cobblestone walk and disappear into the setting sun.

"Cloud…" Squall's voice trembled as he called the name, reaching out.

"Squall?"

Squall's head snapped to the side, his bottom lip shaking, trembling, as he saw Aeris, Demyx limp in her arms, struggling to hold him up. "What hap--"

"He fell unconscious." She stated. "I think it was out of shock. He didn't realize that Cloud's death was near. Speaking of Cloud," she passed Demyx on to Squall, brushing invisible dust off her dress, "where is he?"

"Gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?"

"Just that."

A gasp escaped her lips. "He… left?"

"After Sephiroth, no doubt. He'll die before he reaches him."

Aerith nodded in realization, slumping down on the steps to Cloud's house. "What're we gonna tell Demyx?"

"Don't know. Frankly, I don't care right now." Squall took Demyx inside and laid him on the couch, heading back outside and taking a seat next to Aerith. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder and he patted her knee. "It was bound to happen some time, you know."

"I know." Aerith replied sorrowfully. "I just… wish it hadn't happened so soon. Demyx… he really likes him."

"More like love if you ask me."

"What? You know Nobodies don't have feelings."

Squall chuckled. "Maybe Demyx is different."

- - - - - - -

"Ya look like shit, Strife." Cid grumbled. He stood and went to Cloud, who had just entered his Gummi ship repair shop. Cloud didn't say anything, just coughed and walked toward one of the ships. "Hey, whaddya think ya doin'? You ain't plannin' to fly one of 'em, are ya?"

"I gotta find Sephiroth." Cloud answered, his voice weak and hoarse.

"Oh no, you ain't. I ain't lettin' you fly my best ship."

"Then you fly it."

Cid stepped back in surprise, taking the stick in his mouth out and pointing it at Cloud. "I ain't flyin' this thing to find Sephiroth. I don't care what you want with him, but I ain't goin'."

"Then don't worry about it."

"Wha-- Hey, you listen 'ere, Strife. I-- _shit_! What the hell do ya think you're doin'! That don't go there! Hey, don't bleed all over the ship! Argh! Cloud, let me do that! You jus' sit back and relax. Looks like I'll be goin' after all…" Cid heaved a sigh, hopping into the captain's seat with his hands on the steering wheel. He turned to Cloud, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You ain't in the best of conditions to be fightin' him."

"Just take me." Cloud said curtly, shifting in his seat to gaze out the window.

"I don't know where the hell he is! Only time I knew was when he was here, lookin' for you."

"We'll look for him then."

Cid shook his head, starting up the ship. "Fine. Got any idea?"

Cloud shrugged. "The Coliseum."

"A'ight, Strife. Man, I'm gettin' to old for this shit."

- - - - - - -

"_The Great Ninja Yuffie, at your service!"_

_Demyx gave her a strange look of disbelief. "Yeah, sure."_

_Yuffie stomped the ground, fists clenching at her sides. "I am! Ask anybody! I jump through the rooftops, and--"_

"_Steal people's cars." Cloud interrupted and Yuffie whacked him over the head._

"_I do not!"_

"_Do so. With those Chinese stars of yours. You pick the locks with them."_

"_They're called **shuriken**, dumb butt, and I don't pick car locks with them! He's gonna think I'm some sort of thief!"_

"_But… you are…"_

"_Oh, just shut up." _

_Demyx chuckled a bit. Yuffie scowled at him, leaning right up in his face. _

"_Whaddya laughin' at?"_

_Thinking it was brave and this girl couldn't do anything to him, he said, "You."_

_It was the stupidest thing to say, because Yuffie grabbed his arm and flipped him over. "Excuse me?"_

"_I… I wasn't laughing at anything!"_

"_Good. You learn quick."_

"_Stop tormenting him, Yuff."_

"_Oh, I wasn't tormenting him. That was nothing!"_

"_If it was nothing, why does my back hurt so much?"_

"_Apologize, Yuffie."_

"_I'm not apologizing to him! He laughed at me!''_

"_Yuffie…"_

"_Oh, fine. I'm sorry Demyx."_

"_It's… fine."_

"_See! He's ok!"_

"Like I said he would be! You worry too much, Aerith."

Demyx sat up, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light. Two forms appeared in his line of vision, and focusing, he noticed one to be the youthful ninja, and the other to be the caring healer. Yuffie and Aerith.

"How're you feeling?" Aerith asked. She handed Demyx a mug filled to the brim in hot chocolate.

He took a sip. It burned his throat, but he ignored it. It tasted way too good. "I'm... fine."

"Well, if you were fine, you wouldn't have fainted." Yuffie explained. "So, just lay there and let us take care of everything!"

"Where's Cloud?"

Aerith and Yuffie glanced nervously at each other, both gnawing on their bottom lips. They knew something, Demyx could tell.

"Are you hungry?" Aerith asked hastily.

"Don't change the subject. Where is he?"

"Umn..." The chestnut hair woman looked down, avoiding answering the question that she knew Demyx wouldn't like. "We have sandwiches. And soup. And--"

"He left."

Demyx looked over at Yuffie, eyes widened and unbelieving. "No. No he didn't. He's taking care of the bakery, right?"

Yuffie solemnly shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Where'd he go?"

"We don't know." Aerith whispered. "He just... left. Cid's gone too."

"We think that he is the one driving Cloud." Yuffie added.

Demyx growled lowly. "And where were all of you to stop him?"

"I was with you--"

"And I was training with Tifa in the Bailey." The ninja admitted.

Aerith nodded her head and added, "The only one that was with him was Leon. But he couldn't stop him."

"Well, why the hell not?!" Demyx shouted, enraged. He slammed his fist against the wall next to him, getting up out of bed. "He's gonna get himself killed if he fights him! Why didn't he--"

Aerith put a hand on his shoulder, and he immediately quieted. "Demyx," she whispered, head hanging, "there's something you should know."

**end chapter three**

Authoress's Note: Guess what, my faithful children! Chapter FOUR. Out now, go read.

--ED


	4. Background

_Authoress's NOTE: _It's finally here! So I won't waste your time with an actual note. And make sure you read the end of chapter three. I added stuff...

**Chapter Four: Background**

"_There's something... you should know about Cloud."_

It was raining.

"_He didn't originate here like the rest of us."_

Lightening strikes on the horizon.

"_One day, he just showed up. We were still kids."_

Demyx wandered in the bailey, not knowing where he was headed, or even caring where he ended up.

"_We were teenagers when the Heartless attacked for the first time. It was a struggle to keep ourselves alive. We weren't strong enough because we had just started training. There were so many of them, swarming our town."_

He fell to his hands and knees.

"_We were so worn out when we finally fought them off. We crowded in the library of the castle, where we listened to Ansem the Wise. He explained what they were, why they were here."_

He struggled trying to stand back up.

"_That's when Sephiroth showed up."_

Looking up at the sky with a blank stare as rain pelted over his body, he whispered, "Cloud..."

"_He looked so strong. I feared him. I thought he was a Heartless in a human form."_

Rain streaked his face.

"_No. He wasn't a Heartless, and he didn't come to fight."_

The wind blew harder.

"_He came to tell Cloud the truth."_

Demyx stood and continued walking.

"_What was it?"_

_She didn't speak._

"_Aerith?"_

"_That Cloud was a clone."_

A loud crackle of thunder erupted, like it tried to rip the sky in half.

"_Nearly half a century before we were born, there was experimentation in a different world. They were trying to clone humans. Sephiroth was the first person they tried to clone, a baby at the time."_

Demyx slumped against a rock protruding from the bailey wall, holding himself steady as his knees became weak.

"_Every time, they failed. Cloud was one of their earliest failed clones, when Sephiroth was only seven years old."_

Ansem's study appeared as the haze from the rain dissipated, and Demyx subconsciously began to walk towards it.

"_They sealed him in a containment cell. He didn't age nor grow. That's what they did to all failed clones. They didn't know what they were capable of, or even if they were mentally stable._

"_Then, a year before Cloud appeared here, some one had broke into his containment cell. He was brought here for safe keeping. We don't know who it was. But, those working on the clones were very mad that they sent soldiers out to find them. They didn't come here, never found him. So he grew up like the rest of us._

_However, there were side effects when a cloning failed."_

"_Side effects?"_

He pushed the door of the study open, wandering through the maze of halls.

"_Sephiroth was born from the supreme ruler of that world, Jenova. She was nearly a god, and her husband was the one who wanted to clone their son. Jenova, because she was practically a god, could do whatever she wanted, and she made sure that the failed clones had problems. _

"_Geostigma, Cloud's sickness, is a contamination in Jenova cells that infects the body, causing skin pigments to shift colors and your blood to turn black. Eventually, you die._

"_She hated that her son was being cloned. In the dead of the night when no one was around in the laboratory, she infected every failed cloned, and continued to do so to every failed clone after that. However, they didn't figure that out until all the released failed clones showed those side effects."_

Coming into the main study, the one only Ansem the Wise used, Demyx noticed who he was looking for wasn't there, and slammed his fist into a wall.

"_So it's her fault? Then why is he after Sephiroth?"_

"I had a feeling you'd come today."

"_Sephiroth and Cloud are the last remaining remnants of the original Sephiroth, who died after the perfect clone was produced. He believes that if he defeats the perfect clone, Jenova will see him as perfect and take away the Stigma."_

Demyx looked over Leon and frowned. "Why did you let him go?"

"It's not my place to say."

"_That is what Sephiroth told us many years ago. He wants Cloud to defeat him. But Cloud wasn't strong enough then, and now he has waited so long that the Geostigma has effected his body so much he can't even fight."_

His hands clenched Leon's leather jacket, shoving him into a wall. He had no idea why he was acting in such ways. It was so unlike him. He always avoided confrontation, and now he was starting it.

"Well?" Leon inquired. "If you're going to hit me, do it so I can get back to work."

"I...I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Scared?"

"_He can't do it by himself. And he won't let any of us help him. However..."_

Demyx's grip loosened, the Nobody's gaze cast towards the ground. "I don't know fear."

"Demyx?"

"What's wrong with me? I've never felt like I can't control myself."

"_...maybe he'll let you."_

Leon pressed a hand over the Nobody's chest, just over where a heart would be if he was touching any other person. Faintly, he felt a steady beat, something that shouldn't be there but was. "It's Cloud."

"What?"

"_He already told me to stay out of it."_

"He's changing you in ways I never thought possible." Leon explained, an air of excitement in his eyes.

"_Don't tell me you actually believe him."_

"_Well..."_

"How?"

"_Cloud never speaks his true feelings, but I can tell."_

"_Tell what?"_

Leon chuckled, taking Demyx's hand and holding it against his own chest. "Feel that? It's the faint pulse of a heart."

Blue-green eyes widened in shock at the feel of his own heartbeat, something he hadn't felt in years.

"Is it... is it really..."

"_That Cloud loves you."_

- - - - - -

"Oi! You're bleeding all over the-- Cloud! God dammit!"

The entire ride to the Coliseum had been filled with much of the exact same shouting, and exact same bleeding. Cloud tried to keep bleeding to a low minimum, but he didn't have enough tissues to stop it all. He ended up bleeding on the chair, on the floor, on some of the controls, on Cid's peanut butter and apple sandwich, and on Ansem the Wise's reports, which the pilot had translated for the Keybearer a while back. Cid, finally fed up, decided not to care what was ruined by the tainted blood.

He landed the ship outside the Coliseum, removing the cigarette from his mouth and putting it out in an ashtray. "You're paying for all the stuff you ruined."

"Sure thing."

"I mean it, you unthankful brat."

Cloud nodded, slowly maneuvering to the exit. Cid, grumbling a few curse words under his breath, followed.

The Coliseum was filled with fighters from various other worlds, some lining up to register for a tournament, others conversing with each other to pass the time. Cloud and Cid easily fit in with the crowd with their less than average clothing; Buster Blade strapped to Cloud's back and Cid clenching his spear loosely. To anyone else they were just another couple of fighters. Nothing more, nothing less.

Except that one of them was a clone and the other was a world renowned pilot.

"You think he's here?"

"I don't know."

Cid grumbled an inaudible curse word. "If he ain't here, why're we? Huh, Cloud?"

"I never said he wasn't here." Cloud said, stoic expression left unaltered.

"_No way!"_

"What the--" Cid sputtered, turning on his heel. Catching sight of unruly brown hair in tufts of spikes, he shouted, "why the hell are you here?"

"Cid, who're you," Cloud wondered as he turned as well. "Sora!"

A broad smile stretched across his face. "I never thought I'd see you here again, Cloud! Long time, no see!" Sora scratched the back of his head, cheeks flushing ever so slightly.

"I thought you made it back home."

"Well…" the Keybearer drawled, exhaling softly, "… we did. But it was really boring there."

"So, you came out on your own?"

"No…" he paused, glancing past Cloud and then looking up at the blonde with a shy gleam in his cerulean eyes. "…we got a letter from the king."

Nodding his head in understandment, Cloud turned back around. "I see."

"Well, now you have to tell me why _you're _here!" Sora joked, poking and prodding at the older man's arm. "C'mon, please?"

Cloud didn't want to tell him about his sickness, and about Sephiroth. The less people who knew the better. "The… tournament."

"Really?" Sora cocked his head to the side. "That's strange. And random. But, whatever. You do what you want." He walked past Cloud, taking a few steps towards the registering line. "You do know, however, that you'll end up fighting me, right?"

"And that you'll end up losing?"

"I'm not that weak!" Sora retorted, huffing. "I can totally beat you!"

"I'd like to see you try."

Cid watched the two go back and forth, not wanting to interject with his snide comments. A flash of silver caught his eyes, and when he turned to look it was gone, like it wasn't there to begin with. Deep in his gut, he had a feeling, that whatever that flash of silver was, was more than likely Sephiroth. Or his mind playing tricks.

"Oi," he said in a vain attempt to get their attention. "Oi." A bit louder this time, yet they still didn't hear him. "Oi! Cloud!"

Both turned. "What?"

"I think I saw him."

Cloud's icy blue eyes flashed mako green. "What?"

"Dammit, it was silver."

Sora burst into laughter. "Why're you guys so worried? It was just Riku."

"Yo." At the sound of his name, Riku popped up in between the three of them. "Miss me?"

"Yes!" Sora shouted, throwing himself onto Riku and nuzzling his head in his neck. "Where'd you go and why'd you leave me all alone?"

"To register." The other Keybearer stated simply. "And I wasn't gone for long."

"Yes you were!"

Cloud and Cid glanced sideways at each other and shrugged.

"Hey, I know you guys." Riku looked up at them. "You helped Sora."

"Yeah…"

"…Wanna join us?"

**end chapter four**

_Authoress's NOTE: _Aren't you all so happy? Tell me what you think of this chapter in a review! I'll make sure Demyx makes you some cookies for your effort…

--ED

7


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